**Source:** LS/v24 vol XXIV

## PART II. SOVIET CONSTRUCTION AND THE TASKS OF SOVIET POWER
JANUARY 1919 – MARCH 1920

### SUPPLEMENT TO THE PROJECT OF THE DECREE "ON THE LIBERATION FROM MILITARY OBLIGATION ON THE BASIS OF RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS"
[January 4, 1919]

In the form of an exception, [with respect to individual persons, that is, l...] The United Council[1], by unanimous decision of its own, is empowered to present special petitions to the [Supreme] Revolutionary Tribunal] or else to the Central Executive Committee regarding complete liberation from military service, without any substitution of it with other work, if it can be specially proven that even such substitution is inadmissible not only from the standpoint of religious convictions in general, but also from the standpoint of sectarian literature, as well as the personal life of the respective person.

1 The decree project was worked out by a commission consisting of: V. G. Chertkov, chairman of the "United Council of Religious Communities of the Land," P. A. Krasikov, member of the collegium of the Commissariat of Justice, and V. D. Bonch-Bruevich, manager of the affairs of the Council of People's Commissars. The commission also included a representative of the Military Commissariat. The project was adopted by the commission of the Council of People's Commissars (Small Council of People's Commissars) on January 3, 1919.

Upon approval of the project at the session of the Council of People's Commissars on January 4, 1919, a series of amendments were made and the supplement printed below from Lenin was adopted. The final editing of the project, at Lenin's suggestion, was entrusted to D. I. Kursky. At Lenin's suggestion, he was also instructed to "pay extraordinary attention" in the instructions which he was to send to all courts to "especially rapid reporting, covering all such cases."

The decree was published in "Collection of Legislation and Decrees of the Workers' and Peasants' Government" No. 17 of May 2, 1919. Following the publication of the decree, there were cases of its use by persons not belonging to religious sects, for the purpose of their evasion from military obligation. This circumstance necessitated the publication by the People's Commissariat of Justice of an additional decree ruling "On the Right to Apply the Decree" (see "Izvestia of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 161 of July 24, 1919).

2 The reference is to the "United Council of Religious Communities and Groups." In 1922, this Council was dissolved in connection with its clearly established counter-revolutionary activity.

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### NOTES ON THE TASKS OF SOVIET POWER IN KHARKOV
PROJECT OF DIRECTIVES OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS
[January 1919]

1) Send a maximum of money to Kharkov.

2) The Supreme Council of the National Economy — in the most urgent manner [send] there manufact[ures] and so forth...

3) Create a center in Khar[kov]...
Send people
organizers, at least several, — those familiar with provisioning matters

1 The notes relate to the moment of restoration of Soviet power in Kharkov.

---

### NOTE TO F. I. KALININSKY
To Kalininsky
[March 8, 1919]

Why did you not take the floor to tell how you were driving out the superfluous? How did you determine who was superfluous? and so forth.

1 F. I. Kalininsky was in this period chairman of the Central Committee of Proletkult and member of the collegium of the Commissariat of Enlightenment. The note was written by Lenin at a session of the Council of People's Commissars during the discussion of the report by I. V. Stalin and K. I. Lander "on the reorganization of State Control" and was directed to Kalininsky as chairman of the control-staff commission that was carrying out the rationalization of the staffs of the Commissariat of Enlightenment. Parallel with the Commissariat of Enlightenment, similar work on staff reductions and improvement of reporting was going on in all institutions of the center and periphery.

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### ANNOTATIONS ON A NOTE FROM F. I. KALININSKY
On Control. Preserve and remind me.[1]

1 Kalininsky's note, representing a brief biographical reference, was written in response to Lenin's inquiry. The exchange of notes undoubtedly took place at the same session of the Council of People's Commissars to which the previous document relates.

The annotation was made by Lenin on the reverse of the note to him from Kalininsky, marked: "To Vladimir Ilyich."

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### BRIEF PLAN OF SPEECH
[April 3, 1919]

Plan of speech:
Situation [is] very difficult, but in the past year it was still worse...
hunger
military offensive
conspiracies
attitude toward the peasantry

1 A speech on the external and internal situation of the RSFSR, according to the plan outlined in the document printed here, but considerably expanded, was delivered by Lenin at an extraordinary session of the plenum of the Moscow Soviet of Workers' and Peasants' Deputies on April 3, 1919 (Works, vol. XXIV, pp. 107–220).

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### SECOND SESSION OF THE "ECONOMIC" COMMISSION[1]
MAY 2, 1919

#### a. LIST OF THOSE PRESENT

Lenin
Rykov
Chubar
Syromolotov
Milyutin
Tsyurupa
Frumkin
Fainshtein
Stalin
Galkin
Krestinskiy
Ganetskiy
Potyaev
Krasin
Minkin
Dzerzhinsky
Pyatnitskiy
Tsivadiazde

#### b. ORDER OF THE DAY

I. Regulation of free trade.

II. Monetary famine
Prospects of production of monetary signs
Exchange of money

III. Improvement of the situation of workers
a) food
b) housing
c) manufactures
d) children: social provision

Ganetskiy
Tsivadiazde
Rykov
Potyaev
Frumkin
Lenin
Galkin
Krestinskiy
Ganetskiy

#### c. RECORD OF SPEAKERS

Lenin
Krestinskiy
Syromolotov
Frumkin
Rykov
Krestinskiy
Stalin
Milyutin
Ganetskiy
Lenin
Stalin
Krestinskiy
Krasin
Frumkin
Dzerzhinsky
Krestinskiy

#### d. PROJECT OF DECISIONS OF THE COMMISSION

1) To children of workers—strengthen aid in provisions.

2) To designate preliminary warehouses for rapid accounting and distribution at modest prices to the most needy part of workers who are not receiving the minimum in money.

3) The same with respect to housing payment.

1 This commission had no permanent composition and was convened periodically with a changing membership for the discussion of the most urgent economic questions.

From the moment of organization of the Council of Labor and Defense in April 1920, the resolution of the most important economic questions passed into the jurisdiction of the Council of Labor and Defense. Later, in December 1921, an economic commission was organized under the Council of People's Commissars consisting of: L. B. Kamenev (chairman), A. D. Tsyurupa, D. I. Kursky, E. A. Preobrazhenskiy, and V. V. Schmidt. This commission was entrusted with the systematization and further development of legislation in the sphere of industrial construction, agriculture, and transport (Protocol of the Council of People's Commissars No. 455 of December 6, 1921).

The heading, date, record of speakers (doc. c), and the project of decisions on the questions outlined in group III (doc. d) were written by Lenin. The remainder of the text is in the handwriting of Krestinskiy. Lenin made changes in the order of discussion of questions outlined by Krestinskiy, separating with a line the list of questions of the second group from the third. Judging by the content of the project of decisions sketched by Lenin, the questions outlined in groups I and II (above the line drawn by Lenin) were not discussed by the commission.

The list of speakers was apparently crossed out by Lenin after the speeches (several surnames remained illegible).

The project of decisions sketched by Lenin was also crossed out.

* V. Ya. Chubar — member of the collegium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy.
* A. N. Potyaev — member of the collegium of the Commissariat of Food Supply.
* O. A. Pyatnitskiy — chairman of the trade union of railroad workers.

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### PLAN OF SPEECH AT THE FIRST ALL-RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF WORKERS OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND SOCIALIST CULTURE
[July 31 – August 1, 1919]

Arguments of ideological defenders of capitalism, mensheviks and social-revolutionaries:

"Dictatorship of one party"?
1900–3 = vanguard of the proletariat = Dictatorship of the proletariat.
(1) 1903–4
(2) 1905–7
(3) 1908–1911
(4) 1912–1914
(5) 1914–1917
(6) 1917 November–October

United socialist (or democratic) front?
= concessions to the bourgeoisie.
(C.C. of mensheviks 26.VII.1919)

"The soul of socialism = freedom."

"Equality of the working democracy."

Article 23 of the Soviet Constitution.

Universal suffrage
habit
of the rich = poor
/ force of wealth, force of habit, force of isolated interests of small farms
freedom
of agitation + equality of voting!

1 For the speech, see Works, vol. XXIV, pp. 421–426.

2 Lenin has in mind the appeal of the Central Committee of the mensheviks "What Is to Be Done." One copy of this appeal with Lenin's notation: "received 26/VII 1919" is kept in the Archive of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism (doc. No. 4355).

3 The phrases quoted by Lenin represent individual positions of the resolution of the Ninth Congress of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party, the refutation of which was devoted to Lenin's speech at the First All-Russian Congress of Workers of Enlightenment and Socialist Culture.

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### LETTER TO E. M. SKLYARSKY, N. A. SEMASHKO, AND L. B. KAMENEV

To comrades Sklyarsky
Semashko
L. B. Kamenev

October 15, 1919

By decision of the Central Committee, the named comrades are entrusted with creating a subcommission for the working out of a draft decree on the Committee for Aid to the Wounded, which committee should be organized under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.[1]

To submit by Saturday[2] to the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.

The importance and extreme urgency of such a decree are recognized by the Central Committee as established and indisputable.

Vice-Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

1 The Position of the Council of Defense "On the Committee for Aid to the Wounded and Sick Red Army Men" was approved by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on October 29, 1919. Published in "Izvestia of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 245 of November 1, 1919.

2 October 18, 1919.

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### ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM MEMBERS OF THE BASHKIR REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE
[No later than November 4, 1919]

The communicated copy of the telegram from the Ufa provincial revolutionary committee serves as a bright example of a political fact [on the part of] the Ufa comrades, hitherto incapable of understanding that a rude reprimand to the government of an autonomous republic does not fall within the limits of their competence. The conduct of Ufa has always added fuel to the fire. The Sterlitamak disputes, tendentiously intensified by the center's interference, [make] inevitably one-sided the district information. [For] example, telegram No. 265 was sent contrary to the statement of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee's representative Samoylov, that the local party committees in Ufa decided to set about the restoration of normal relations between the organs of both republics in Sterlitamak and that the results would be reported urgently. [At] the moment of sending the telegram Ufa had just [organized] a joint session of party committees in Sterlitamak, which outlined a series of practical measures [for] the restoration of atmosphere. Meanwhile, Ufa hurried to transform the seizure of free furniture, hidden in the storeroom of a grain collection point, into the seizure of grain collection points and commodity warehouses [in the] plural. We request [you] to tell Ufa: do not interfere with the collaboration of local workers being established, by ceasing manifestations of the remnants of provincial militant great-power chauvinism, obliging it not to inform the center without prior consultation [with] the representatives in the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Bashkiria. Samoylov. Yumagutov.

★

Brick[1]—investigation of telegrams concerning seizures: collect
all these tele[grams]
1) with me—
2) with Vladimir[sky]—
3) with Krestinskiy.

1 M. F. Vladimirsky — in 1919, Deputy Commissar of Internal Affairs.

---

### TELEGRAM TO G. E. ZINOVIEV

By direct line, out of turn.

Petrograd
Smolnyi
To Zinoviev

November 10, 1919

I request you immediately to gather information about reliable Bashkir communists, or honest sympathizers in Bashkiria and send me their names and addresses urgently.[1]

Lenin.

1 This information was apparently needed by Lenin in connection with the forthcoming meeting in the Council of People's Commissars on the organization of the Bashkir Republic. Zinoviev was to gather this information from the units of the Bashkir Division stationed in Petrograd.

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### NOTES AT A MEETING OF DELEGATES OF THE SECOND ALL-RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF COMMUNIST ORGANIZATIONS OF THE PEOPLES OF THE EAST[1]

#### a. MEETING [November 21]

A) Fundamental tasks: principled significance of communist organizations and parties of the East

B) Organizational-party questions

C) Administrative-state questions

D) Concrete questions of each nation, in accordance with its degree of development, its peculiarities, etc.

To combine the territorial principle and the extraterritorial principle

[Extraterritoriality?]

E) Methods and measures of contact with the poor, with the working people, with the exploited of each nation against its bureaucracy, feudals, bourgeoisie

The closest alliance with Russian working people

Lenin
Krestinskiy
Tarpishchev
Brundakov
Sultan-Galiev
Fludeli?
Firdevs
Stalin
Brundakov
Seyfi

#### b. LIST OF SPEAKERS

Stalin

Tarpishchev
Khakimov
Khusain Ibragimov
Frumkin
Firdevs
Brundakov
Stalin
Lenin
Husain Poragilmov
Sadreev
Stalin
Lenin
Sultan-Galiev
Krestinskiy
Frumkin
Kamenev
Khakimov
Stalin

The Second All-Russian Congress of Communist Organizations of the Peoples of the East took place in Moscow from November 22 to December 3, 1919.

* The heading was given by Lenin. Ed.
** Point "D" was written by Lenin by mistake instead of "C". Ed.
*** Here Lenin made an error: it should be Budeyly. Ed.

The main attention of the congress was devoted to the question of the formation of the Tatar-Bashkir Republic and the discussion of a series of reports on the policy of Soviet power in the national regions.

On the eve of the opening of the congress, November 21, 1919, the Central Committee of the RCP(b) convened, under Lenin's chairmanship, a preliminary meeting of the Central Committee with a group of delegates who had come to the congress.

Lenin's speech at the congress took place on November 22, 1919 (see Works, vol. XXIV, pp. 542–551). For more details on the congress, see Works, vol. XXIV, p. 813, note 167.

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### SEVENTH ALL-RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF SOVIETS
DECEMBER 4–9, 1919

#### PLAN OF REPORT

1. (Introduction)
Civil war, resistance of exploiters
International situation.

2. First stage of Entente intervention: its troops (in Archangel, in the south). [Purchase of Czechs]
French sailors (Labourbe)
Archangel English soldiers. Crash.

3. Second stage of Entente intervention: + 16 states (Churchill denied, and Estonia + Finland).
Yudenich. Crash.

4. War = continuation of policy | working class dictatorship
summarizing, the result of it | verification of peasant
summary, etc. | and specialists

5. Kolchak and Siberian peasant
Denikin and Ukrainian peasant
News of peasants = the essence of proletarian dictatorship.

6. Talk of peace. Another peace proposal.
There will be attempts by the enemy.

7. Terror imposed—will weaken.

8. "Philistine, petty bourgeoisie, intelligentsia, specialists. Will become milder.

9. Military experience (social, economic, political, organizational, technical, etc.) on bread (requisition vs. free trade)

10. — fuel (final series of measures)

11. — struggle with lice (typhus)

12. Subbotniki. Purification of the party

13. ___________ New party members

14. Non-party workers' and peasant conferences

15. Military and industrial mobilization.

16. On the internal, peaceful construction there will be even more endurance and successes, even more "miracles" than during these 2 years of war with international imperialism.

#### FINAL PLAN OF REPORT

(1) 1st stage:
(own troops)

(2) 2nd:
small nations

(3) 3rd:
(war)

(4) Peace proposal

(5) Social cause of victories over Kolchak, etc.

(6) conclusion:
(proletariat
specialists + peasant;

(7) Terror imposed.

(8) "Becomes easier" for the philistine.

(9) Peaceful construction
(10) Bread.

(11) Fuel.

(12) "Lice"...

(13) "Fantasy" and "Foundation"

(14) Industrial mobilization

(15) Source of strength deeper and broader:

(16) Resolution.

| 33 mil. – 40 m. p[oods] |
| 75% of requisition fulfilled |

* The numerical notation was made by Lenin later and relates to the question of bread requisition. Ed.

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### ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM ROSTA
August 28, 1919

The Finnish information bureau of August 28 of this year reports that the newspaper "Folkets Dagblad Politiken" transmits that, according to information received from a reliable source, the military minister Churchill some time ago at one party congress delivered a speech about the campaign of the Allies against the Russian revolution. Having gathered various military supplies on all the borders of Soviet Russia, a concentrated offensive of the armies of 14 different countries against Moscow will begin. This advance is supposed to begin at the end of August or at the beginning of September according to Churchill's calculations. Petrograd is to fall in September, and Moscow by Christmas. First, the affairs of Russia would be managed by a mixed commission under military dictatorship, until the pacification work of the country is completed. If even this grandiose centralized campaign against Soviet Russia were to end [in] a draw, there would be only one possibility in sight, that is, to recognize Lenin and conclude peace with Russia, otherwise a European war would break out, which would continue for several years.

6. Finland
(Kolchakia)
America
Estonia
(Denikiniya)
Latvia
Lithuania

10. Poland
Ukraine
Georgia
Azerbaijan

14. Armenia

1. England
USA
France
Italy
5. Japan

* So in the text of the telegram. Ed.

---

### RECORD OF DISCUSSION[1]
[December 6, 1919]

Martov

1) "Local influences"
(communists) in small countries
are not needed

2) "Restoration" of economic life is necessary.

3) I "involuntarily" recognized the significance of a moral factor: for the first time I "justified myself" concerning terror.

"Broad, indifferent"
"Conscious masses" of working people in Europe: for them it is important: to give least occasion for accusation of terror

"Dictatorship of a revolutionary minority" in Russia

Are not allowed

"Suppression of the most elementary personal and social freedoms"

(hinder opening a window to Europe).

"An entire system of violations of constitution"...

The Central Executive Committee was not [convened]

"Degeneration of organs of power." Uncontrolled executive committees.

"Withering away" of constitution

"Suppression of freedom"

[Groups whom they trust most.

Cannot these groups have freedom

bureaucratism...

"One privileged estate"
Communist Party.

"Apathy of the masses" (after brief uprisings)

Uncontrolled and irresponsible
power of the Cheka

For ages and ages, not last year's declaration

with "elements of democratization" [there should be] correspondence

"Democratization of the constitution"

"Equality of rights of working people of city and countryside"

Heavy choice between Kolchak and bolsheviks — even for kulaks...

and distorted Soviet system — or

rests on the shoulders of a "small minority of the proletariat"...

but by the idea of all the proletariat
peasant

*less. Ed.

[actual freedom and actual equality of working people]

From the Bund:

{{ Serious cases of annulment by Soviets of decisions of executive committees

{{ Soviets are not elected, are not re-elected ___

!!* The Central Executive Committee was at the front: this is curious.

"There must be others, [but] we are afraid of peasants, etc."

"Every Soviet young lady," her expression...

.......replaces the masses....

"Once and for all to end with [the implementation] of the dictatorship of the communist party"...

"To implement the Soviet constitution"

[It is] shameful that mensheviks are not given a propaganda journal

Volsky

"Peasant masses" = "last base"
greatest attention and caution.

Completely different principled attitude toward the food system: a tax is necessary, but then set it up as such.

1 See Works, vol. XXIV, pp. 591–611. At the top of the document Lenin wrote: "to the archive (report 5/XII at 7 congress of soviets)."

* Points 12, 13, and 14 of the plan were apparently crossed out by Lenin when compiling the final sketch of the plan. The crossed-out points (with the exception of point 14) are not reflected in Lenin's speech.

* These materials were used by Lenin on December 5, 1919 in his speech at the Seventh Congress of Soviets on the activity of the Council of People's Commissars (Works, vol. XXIV, p. 596).

2 The record of discussion was kept by Lenin at the morning session of the congress on December 6, 1919 and concerned the speeches of representatives of petty-bourgeois parties: Yu. O. Martov (from the mensheviks), M. A. Frumkina (from the Bund), and V. K. Volsky (from the Socialist-Revolutionaries). The concluding speech was delivered by Lenin immediately after the end of the discussion. Undoubtedly, therefore, the plan of the concluding speech was sketched by Lenin during the session of the congress on December 6. For the texts of the speeches of those who spoke at the congress, see "7th All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Peasants', Red Army and Cossack Deputies in Moscow. Stenographic Report, December 5–9, 1919. Moscow. Giz, 1920."

3 Lenin has in mind the following passage from Martov's speech: . . . "Here, where the matter is and will further be one of struggle against influences hostile and inimical to us... in this struggle between these two influences... the moral, psychological factor, the factor of moral prestige and confidence... has enormous significance. The Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars himself recognized this when he spoke over our heads, addressing Europe, and for the first time, as far as I remember, justified himself... when he gave explanations concerning the terrorism of the Russian revolution and proved that this terrorism is wholly imposed by the terrorism of our enemies."

4 The declaration read by Martov at the congress from the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party, L. Sosnovskiy in a remark from the floor, called "last year's."

5 Speaking of supposed violations of the Soviet constitution by the Soviet power, Martov referred to the fact that the Central Executive Committee had not been convened for a year, to which he was answered from the floor with the remark: "The Central Executive Committee was at the front." M. A. Frumkina, representative of the Bund, speaking in the discussion, called this circumstance "curious."

6 Volsky in the discussion of Lenin's report spoke of the necessity of a review "of the position that was given to extraordinary commissions" and of the necessity of "taking judicial functions away from these non-judicial organs." The mensheviks' declaration, read by Martov, spoke of "monstrous development of terror" and "gigantic development of the mechanism of extraordinary commissions" ("7th All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Peasants', Red Army and Cossack Deputies. Stenographic Report. Moscow. Giz. 1920, pp. 62 and 70).

Lenin, objecting to Martov, read out the text of Article 23 of the "Constitution of the RSFSR": "Guided by the interests of the working class as a whole, the RSFSR deprives individual persons and separate groups of rights which are used by them to the detriment of the interests of the socialist revolution."

---

### NOTE TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SEVENTH CONGRESS OF SOVIETS
[No later than December 8–9, 1919]

In my opinion, it is necessary to elect [a representative] also from the Kiev Province.[1]

When there is an all-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee (there is not one yet), then they will leave. Why shouldn't [one] be with us while there is no Ukrainian Central Executive Committee?

Lenin.

[1] Lenin proposes to introduce into the membership of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee a representative from Kiev Province, which had been liberated by the Red Army by this time from Denikin. Lenin's proposal was accepted (K. Tolmachev was elected as representative from Kiev Province to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee).

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### ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM A MEMBER OF THE SIBREVKOM
[December 16, 1919]

Rapid advance of the army requires immediate organization of Soviet institutions on the spot. Local comrades, unfamiliar with the construction and policy of Soviet power, are now incapable of organizing [them]. In the event of the impossibility of communication with the center, the absence of suitable leaders in the regions threatens the repetition of already passed stages and the irrational use of Siberia's wealth. It is necessary immediately to send the Sibrevkom people for responsible political guidance in the regions of Soviet construction and economy.

★

Orgbureau (Stasova)

In my opinion, do not send more to Siberia: we have none. Siberia will not perish. Everything to Ukraine.

Lenin.

---

### TELEGRAM TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE ALL-UKRAINIAN CONFERENCE OF BOROTBISTS[1]

Kharkov
Ukrainsovnarkom to Rakovskiy for Blakitnyy[2] to the presidium of the all-Ukrainian conference of borotbists.

March 16, 1920

From my whole heart I thank you for the greeting. I warmly wish success to the work of the conference, especially success to the begun work of merger with the Bolshevik party.

Lenin.

1 The Ukrainian party of left Socialist-Revolutionaries (borotbists) arose in May 1918. By the end of 1919, a current emerged among the borotbists for merger with the Communist Party of Ukraine. The decision on the merger of the borotbists with the CP(b)U was passed at the Fourth All-Ukrainian Conference of borotbists on March 20, 1920.

2 V. M. Blakitnyy (pseudonym of Yelanskiy) (1891–1925) — member of the Central Committee of Ukrainian Socialist-Revolutionary borotbists, member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Ukraine, editor of the central organ of the borotbists "Borotba." One of the initiators of the merger of the borotbists with the CP(b)U. In March 1920, after the merger of the borotbists with the Communist Party of Ukraine, he was elected member of the Central Committee of the CP(b)U and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 12th Army.

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### RECORD AT THE RECEPTION OF A DELEGATION OF THE CENTRAL BUREAU OF COMMUNIST ORGANIZATIONS OF THE PEOPLES OF THE EAST[1]

IN THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

March 22, 1920

Original (and signatures) with Vladimirskiy.

50–57% Tatars in this territory

Approx. 12 Tatar newspapers on this territory.

6–7 daily [newspapers]

The record was made by Lenin during a conversation with B. Mansurov, member of the presidium of the Central Bureau of Communist Organizations of the Peoples of the East (later the first chairman of the Tatar Central Executive Committee). In discussing the organization of the Tatar Republic, Mansurov informed Lenin about the state of publishing work in Kazan and about Tatar national literature. In addition to Mansurov, the delegation included: S. Said-Galiev, chairman of the Central Bureau of Communist Organizations of the Peoples of the East, and his deputy M. Sultan-Galiev. (In 1927, M. Sultan-Galiev was expelled from the party and condemned in a case involving a counter-revolutionary pan-Turkist organization connected with basmachism.)

[1] The reference is to the original of the draft "Position on the Tatar Socialist Republic." This project was worked out by an inter-departmental commission consisting of members of the Central Bureau of Communist Organizations of the Peoples of the East and representatives of a series of departments (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, People's Commissariat of Justice, All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, Supreme Council of the National Economy, All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions, etc.).

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### SUPPLEMENTS TO THE DRAFT POSITION ON SUBBOTNIKI[1]
[No earlier than late March 1920]

1. Aims and purposes of subbotniki.

1) Subbotniki are one of the forms of propaganda of the idea of labor obligation and self-organization of the working class.

2) Subbotniki should be a laboratory of forms of communist labor.

3) Subbotniki should begin first of all for especially important and urgent work.

4) On subbotniki, there should be production of not less than established norms, but participants of subbotniki should strive to exceed these norms.

+ a) heightening of labor productivity
b) heightening of labor discipline
c) implementation of the dictatorship of the proletariat
d) leadership of the peasantry
e) salvation from hunger and devastation

[1] The author of the project was A. N. Sokolov, a staff member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). The working out of the position was apparently being prepared for the anniversary of the organization of subbotniki (for May 10, 1920).